Howto reset forgoten root password in steamos?

[Norax]

"I'll be original. I will put a new password for my steamos root user, so no one 'hack' me!"
48h later, that password was forgotten and I felt totally ♥♥♥♥♥♥.

What to do? (I found the problem from step8)

Step1: Download ubuntu ( from here: http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop) and make a bootable USB with it. To put the iso in the USB I use UNetbottin (you can get it here: http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/)

Step2: Modify the BIOS to put the priority on the USB.

Step3: Launch ubuntu without installing (aka live).

Step4: Open a terminal.
Type "sudo passwd root", to set a new passwd for the ubuntu root. (step not rlly needed)

Step5: Open the file manager system.
Check the list on the left, and search for the filesystem where steamos is installed.
Open it.
Right click on any file, click on properties and check the location. It should be something like "/media/<long string of characters>/<name of the selected file>"
Remember the first few numbers of the "<long string of characters>"

Step6: Go back to the terminal.
Type "cd /media/"
Then "cd " and the first few characters of the long string, then press tab and it should autocomplete.
Then "cd /etc"

Step7: Type "sudo chmod o+w passwd", to change the access permissions of the file.

Step8: Now type "sudo gedit passwd". Now you should have the passwd file opened.
Go to "root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash".
Remove the "x".
Save the file.

Step9: Type "chmod o-w passwd", to restore the access permissions of the file.
Shutdown the pc, remove the usb and start steamos
...
...


From step8 forward I miss something that it's not under my knowledge. What is it?
Erase the cipher password from the line that corresponds to the root user in the /etc/shadow file?

Thankfully I have been able to recover my pass thanks to brute force (me inserting manually a lot of possible password combinations), so I am not in a hurry. But I think it may be helpful to provide a guide for the future, so ppl avoid reinstalling the OS ^^

Thanks in advance!

[weki]

you can also do this as desktop user

sudo su
passwd

[Grimallq]

Originally posted by weki:

you can also do this as desktop user

sudo su
passwd

Wich won't work since the OP wants to reset a forgotten password.

This will work:

sudo su
passwd -d root

or just

sudo passwd -d root

Unless he forgot the desktop password, then things get tricky.

[weki]

well it has always worked for me.

[Grimallq]

Originally posted by weki:

well it has always worked for me.

Huh, it does work. I was sure it should ask for current root password.

[Norax]

Thats a bug then?

[weki]

if you got root then you can do any thing right? even change you password. if you type passwd as not root then you have to check you old password fist. but it is only what i think.

[Grimallq]

Originally posted by Norax:

Thats a bug then?

No, using passwd as root never ask for current password.

Apparently I don't play around with root enough to remember this.

And since I don't usually play around with root I'll probably forget it again within a week.

[Vla8islav]

I had exact same problem. I recorded short video tutorial,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pru05iJzSs
but it is basically:



1. Turn off computer.
2. Turn in on. Repeatedly press Esc key.
3. Choose advanced boot options. Press enter.
4. Choose advaced option again. Press 'e'.
5. Add to the end of the line
linux /boot *blahblahblah*
" init=/bin/bash"
so now it is
linux /boot *blahblahblah* init=/bin/bash
6. Press F10. Wait a bit for root prompt with #
7. Print

mount -rw -o remount /

press enter.
8. Print

passwd desktop

press enter.
9. Type your new password, press enter. Do it again to confirm it.
10. Reboot computer.

Voila!
Based on: https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Debian_reset_root_password

[Thrillho]

Originally posted by Grimallq:

Originally posted by weki:

you can also do this as desktop user

sudo su
passwd

Wich won't work since the OP wants to reset a forgotten password.

Um...yes, that would 100% work, and is the easiest solution. The only issue is that he has to set the desktop user's password before running that command, since the desktop user doesn't have a password initially.

[Vla8islav]

Originally posted by Setbro Kiaba:

Originally posted by Grimallq:

Wich won't work since the OP wants to reset a forgotten password.

Um...yes, that would 100% work, and is the easiest solution. The only issue is that he has to set the desktop user's password before running that command, since the desktop user doesn't have a password initially.

When you try to execute "sudo su" system will prompt user to input his password. If you forgot - tough luck.

[Thrillho]

Originally posted by Vla8islav:

Originally posted by Setbro Kiaba:

Um...yes, that would 100% work, and is the easiest solution. The only issue is that he has to set the desktop user's password before running that command, since the desktop user doesn't have a password initially.

When you try to execute "sudo su" system will prompt user to input his password. If you forgot - tough luck.

Yes...the desktop user's password. He forgot the root user's password.

[X]

You left out one instruction that I figured out from the video: You chose recovery mode before hitting E. It worked great. Thank you.